Linda Van Zandt

While none could argue that the WindanSea Surf Club has deep roots in the rich surfing history of La Jolla, when it first began it really had nothing to do with the world famous break that bears its name.  Founded in 1962 by Chuck Hasley, it was a group of older teenagers and twenty-to-thirty somethings that wanted to form “the greatest surfing club ever” in an effort to compete in a longboard competition in Malibu, California.  Three months later, then Executive Director Thor Svenson decided to develop a Juniors program for kids under age 17.  The youngest members recruited were Hank Warner and Ricky Ryan, both 13 at the time.

The menehune program began in 1965 when Thor directed his club to put on a contest for kids aged 12 and under.  His motivation was three-fold: generate revenue for the cash-strapped club; put the juniors to work, building skills he knew would serve them later in life; and finally, source for new talent that would be the future of the club if its competitive edge was to survive. The event’s inaugural winner was an 11-year-old La Jolla phenom by the name of Margo Godfrey.  As the only female competitor, Margo surfed against the boys and solidified her reputation as a serious competitor the following year by successfully defending her title, once again against an all-male roster of competitors.  Immediately handed an application, Margo was invited into the club and eventually went on to become a world champion in professional surfing.  By 1968, the contest was attracting worldwide attention with contestants coming from as far away as Florida, Hawaii and the Gulf Coast.  That year the event was won by Kyle Bakken also of La Jolla and, in keeping with tradition of recognizing amazing, local surfing talent; Kyle was invited to join the club. At first resisting, feeling he was more into the solitary side of surfing versus the competitive team aspect, Kyle was sold on the club when he learned of their surfing program with the Junior Foundation for the Blind.

But perhaps Kyle was foreshadowing the direction the sport itself was taking. The attitude in surfing indeed shifted from the team concept to a more soulful, underground, individual pursuit.  In 1971 Thor, the driving force behind the club, moved to Australia and the club went dormant.
 
In 1980-81 with the administrative help of Steve Shaw; Debbie Beacham and Hans Newman, along with several surfing friends from WindanSea beach, brought new life back into the club.  Centering membership around the break itself, the club was more about camaraderie than competition.  New membership was a cautious process, highly selective, and focused on the tight-knit group of friends who surfed the famous peak.

Since that new revival, each successive president has brought a unique perspective and vision on the direction the club.  This year is no different, bringing with it an historic first with the election of its first female president, Tifani Swink.  Although Tifani would be the first to admit her surfing skills are more about fun in the sun, then tearing the tops off of lips, Tifani brought with her a legacy candidacy that could not be ignored.  Admitted to the club in 1999, Tifani is the daughter of the club’s beloved charter member, the colorful and often controversial Butch Van Artsdalen. Tifani never had the chance to meet her father, tormented as he was by his own demons, so she did the next best thing by forming a quick and lasting bond with the club that was such an important part of her father’s life.  “Being a part of the WindanSea surf club has allowed me to touch and know a piece of my father that would have otherwise not been possible”, she has said.  Tifani has proven her value by helping revive a rich part of the club’s history, the Menehune Contest.  “Butch was intimately involved with the original Menehune contest.  Becoming involved was a way to honor my fathers legacy.” In 1999, under then President Ozstar Dejourday and Vice President Buzzy Dephilippis, the club brought back the event big time. Citing the fond memories of the event from older club members involved in the contest as kids, the club’s main motivation was to bring that same “stoke” to a new generation of surfers. In 2001, the club added a juniors division, currently capping the competitive age to surfers 16 and under. In 2003, committing to the tradition of the “aloha exchange” with the Hawaiians, the club sponsored a team of well-deserved, lower income youngsters from the islands to participate in the event.

That event is now host to close to 300 groms from all over the state and Hawaii.  The Hawaiian contingent has also revived the tradition of reciprocity by sponsoring a small team of young competitors to participate in their own menehune contest in Makaha.  These kids are hand selected by the Hawaiian coaches during the annual WindanSea Menehune event held each fall at La Jolla Shores because of their demonstrated sportsmanship, attitude and ability.  Tifani’s main focus as president is to further develop the “grom” program. “This is something that comes entirely from the heart.  It’s time for the club to grow with youth.  I find it personally rejuvenating to have all this young energy around me”, say Tifani.  Former president Randy Lind, enthusiastic with this new influx of hot rippers says simply, “Do the math, no new members equals no future for the club.”

So what exactly is a grom?  To paraphrase Matt Warshaw, author of the Encyclopedia of Surfing, the term grom is broadly defined as any young surfer, usually hyper-enthusiastic and often underfoot.  While the grom can expect a fair amount of good-natured hazing from his elders, they are fiercely protected from any harassment from outsiders.  And while the word menehune is, in literal terms, a Hawaiian leprechaun, in the surfing world the two are synonymous.

Within the WindanSea surf club, a menehune is age 13 or younger, while the juniors are 17 and under.  There are several ways in which one may be considered for membership.  The first would be a “legacy” applicant.  Children whose parents are active and involved members have the luxury of being on the fast track for admittance, but the formality of a vote is still required.  In keeping with tradition, those surfers proving their contest mettle and winning their respective division at the WindanSea Menehune/Junior contest will generally be given an application for consideration of membership.  The final way is basically scouting for talent.  And while it may be first and foremost a surfing club, and surfing well is indeed a criterion for both nomination and membership consideration, it doesn’t just end there.  “The club is a great way for these kids to earn their community service points as they enter high school”, says Tifani, “before their application can be processed to the point they are presented for a formal vote they must attend at least four club events within a one year period.”  This ranges from the club’s annual St. Vincent de Paul Day at the Beach, now in its 21st year, or the Special Olympics Beach Day to beach clean-ups and club events like the Menehune/Junior Contest and Butch Van Artsdalen Memorial PaddleBoard Race held in June.  Although the club does find potential applicants from all over the San Diego area, the La Jolla area has proved to be such a hotbed of amazing, young talent that in the last several years they haven’t had to look much further than the inside left or right hook of the break itself.

This year’s crop of groms includes an unprecedented number of immensely talented kids under the age of 14, like Lucas Dirkse, Joey Filter, and Hunter Lane, now in his 7th year of surfing.  In the membership pipeline are Erik Vanstrum, Gina Andrews, Hunter Johnson and Harley Taich along with hard-charging 10-year-old Skippy McCullough who has already racked up an impressive resume of winning contests.  These kids are joining the clubs current menehune roster, which includes legacy members Sara Roper and Matty Taylor. Legacy candidates include cousins Chance and Tiare Thompson. If admitted, Tiare will be the clubs youngest ripper at age 6.  Her resume already includes an impressive first place in both girl’s shortboard and longboard in last year’s Menehune event.

Solid citizens, Lucas Dirkse as well as Sara Roper and family member Noah Bloomberg have all been selected at one time to represent WindanSea in the Makaha contest.

In 2006, at age 10, Lucas, won both longboard and shortboard divisions in the Menehune contest.  He was inspired to accept his membership application while watching a surf movie featuring world-renowned surfer and WindanSea member, Joel Tudor who he lists as one of his favorites.  “The club is a good group of surfers, friends and families and I’m stoked to be a part of it”, says Lucas.  His peers would agree all citing varies themes along the lines of friendship, surf stoke and the desire to help out as motivations for membership.  The camaraderie runs high among these kids as their membership applications all list one another as their most inspirational, favorite to surf with and most radical.

Junior member and current Menehune President, Sebastian (Sebi) Becerra, along with Junior President Jo-Jo Roper would seem to have their hands full with this full roster of newcomers.  Fulfilling his role as chief mentor to the menehunes, Sebi agrees with his elders, “The groms are the most important part of the next surfing generation.  I feel like they are all my little brothers.  I want to be a good example for them and help them make the best choices they can and tell them to keep surfing!”

Along with Sebastian and Jo-Jo, the junior member list is also growing, which includes local rippers and legacy members Alex Beacham, Vincent Dephilippis, Colburn Mowry, Peter Luber and Max Vonneumann.  Recently welcomed into the club are Patrick Cairncross, Jimmy Filter, Brandon Wasserman and Brendan Nyhan.  Waiting hopefully in the wings is a huge contingent of potential newcomers from the area including Johnny Norris, Ian Gardiner, Warren Zvetina, John King, Mitchell McCullough, John-Paul Engh, Taylor Spong, Matt Feeley and Clayton Silver, Jr.  One legacy candidate includes Alex Thompson. The newest junior women’s candidate is Jacky Vinson.

“My goal as President”, declares Ms. Swink, “along with my current Board of Directors, is to continue to foster these young kids, not only to become better surfers, but to become better citizens because of their involvement with the WindanSea Surf Club.  This is our future.  It’s up to us to give them the proper mentoring they need to continue the important sense of community and community services we provide.  Who knows, maybe they’ll even have a chance to come up with their own philanthropic goals for the club”.

If you would like more information on the WindanSea Surf Club, or the Menehune/Junior Contest, please refer to their website at www.windanseasurfclub.org.